It partially reflects what it takes to get on the ballot and also reflects Democratic desire to split the Republican party. See there were Democrats who were posing as tea party candidates and also aiding tea party candidates to get on the ballot in hopes it would limit Republican gains.

Please see previous statements above about hypocrisy and lack of principles to explain these actions.

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Yes, I don't want anyone to see their grand parents on thanksgiving .. and I want TSA agents shove their non changed latex gloves up everyone's ass especially kids. Private security did so much better on 9/11 we should privatize security again....

You've made good progress. This is an improvement on just wanting straight out genocide before. Now you only want everyone to have a youthful fisting experience.

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Turns out the father of this child undressed him to speed things up, but who would care about details like that..

We prefer to note who is demanding the ridiculous actions, not who is complying with them to protect their children.

Current cost to US of over-reaction to 9/11 which was caused by lax private security and presidential arrogance 14 trillion.

Fixed it for you.

Well...not exactly.

If we really want to unravel this whole thing we'd have to go back to the interventionist and militaristic US foreign policies of the past 30-40 years (perhaps longer) that precipitated these attacks to begin with.

Agreed that airline security should have been better. By the way this would have involved security of employees and contractors who had access to the planes because these guys didn't walk onto to the planes with their weapons.

Still one incident like this out of 30-40 years of commercial air service still keeps them pretty low on the list of things that people are going to die from. Frankly even on that day your chance of dying in one of those terrorist attacks was approximately 1/100th of a percent.

Furthermore their common sense response of putting a better door on the cockpit and arming the pilots was probably the biggest (if not the sole) contributor to continued airplane safety and security since 9/11. The TSA has contributed almost nothing but theater and frustration with a little humiliation of innocent people thrown in just for fun.

Because the Tea Party ended up aligning itself with the Republican Party instead of becoming a true third party. It was not started as an instrument to support Republicans, but it did become a core constituency.

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Yes, I don't want anyone to see their grand parents on thanksgiving .. and I want TSA agents shove their non changed latex gloves up everyone's ass especially kids. Private security did so much better on 9/11 we should privatize security again....
Turns out the father of this child undressed him to speed things up, but who would care about details like that..?

Why would undressing be required? It's absolutely ridiculous. There is no way in hell I would subject my daughter to getting undressed in an airport so she could be molested by TSA goons.

And as for private security: Are you seriously claiming that it was the non-federal nature of the security that was the problem? It wasn't that security was just completely different pre-9/11? Even now, airports can use private security instead of TSA. They just have to follow certain standards. Private security is not the problem at all.

I can only please one person per day. Today is not your day. Tomorrow doesn't look good either.

Because the Tea Party ended up aligning itself with the Republican Party instead of becoming a true third party. It was not started as an instrument to support Republicans, but it did become a core constituency.

Why would undressing be required? It's absolutely ridiculous. There is no way in hell I would subject my daughter to getting undressed in an airport so she could be molested by TSA goons.

And as for private security: Are you seriously claiming that it was the non-federal nature of the security that was the problem? It wasn't that security was just completely different pre-9/11? Even now, airports can use private security instead of TSA. They just have to follow certain standards. Private security is not the problem at all.

SDW. This is what I meant by the terrorists won and got what they wanted out of the attacks. This is the shape of the new world after 911 ( something I remember you talking about when talking about the patriot act and Homeland security necessary in the new world after 911 ). This crap goes along with it also. This is part of that new world where years of easy going security is now changing to over reaction. We've actually lost freedoms as a result of what the terrorists did. We've become fearful. They created the fear and sat back and watched. That's what terrorists do.

That's why I ( sadly ) say mission accomplished.

Without the need for difference or a need to always follow the herd breeds complacency, mediocrity, and a lack of imagination

SDW. This is what I meant by the terrorists won and got what they wanted out of the attacks. This is the shape of the new world after 911 ( something I remember you talking about when talking about the patriot act and Homeland security necessary in the new world after 911 ).

I'm with you so far...

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This crap goes along with it also. This is part of that new world where years of easy going security is now changing to over reaction. We've actually lost freedoms as a result of what the terrorists did. We've become fearful. They created the fear and sat back and watched. That's what terrorists do.

I think there is a big difference between Patriot Act provisions, warrantless wiretapping, etc....and this. Not all provisions were overreactions...some made sense. These include reinforcing cockpit doors, arming pilots, more baggage screening, certain banned items, etc. But we've gone from that to full body scanning and pat downs where agents grab your genitals? What?

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That's why I ( sadly ) say mission accomplished.

Yes, jimmac...and since I know that was meant as a dig at the Bush Administration, I feel it only right to point out that the most invasive procedures have been started by the Obama Administration. But the Left is largely mum. When warrantless wiretapping, Gitmo and the Patriot Act were the issues, Bush was a civil-liberties hating bastard. But now--with the government going much, much further--suddenly it's just something folks like you "don't like."

I can only please one person per day. Today is not your day. Tomorrow doesn't look good either.

"Find out just what people will submit to, and you have found out the exact amount of injustice and wrong which will be imposed upon them; .... The limits of tyrants are prescribed by the endurance of those whom they oppress." -- Frederick Douglass

We can conduct any kind of search we want," said McClintock. "We could ask TSA to bring wands or X-ray machines like they have in airports, though we don't think that's appropriate for PATCO riders at this time."

You talk a good game about liberty and freedom and you've contributed greatly to those in the past - but now it seems you are full speed heading towards a Police State.

Are you just going to sit back and take it?

This is where you could lead the world the right way.... or the wrong way.

I hope you make a stand and win because to be honest...you are the only country that can. If you go down without a fight on this one no-one anywhere else will resist with any success.

It is a fair question and a fair point. I have been trying to figure out the best strategy and tactics but don't have a good answer for that right now.

At the present I'm sitting here in stunned dismay at how many Americans actually approve of this shit and how many look at you like you're a fucking extremist nut by even questioning this stuff. Freedom cannot be forced upon people.

I don't have a good answer for your question. Mentally I've been watching and preparing for this for a long time. I've long-suspected that this was where the US might be headed while holding out hope that I was just being a paranoid pessimistic nut. Clearly I cannot speak for anyone but myself and what I can or will personally do. For the moment I have been doing my best to speak out and communicate with the people closest to me. To raise awareness. To open people's eyes. This is an uphill battle. I fear the US has become a nation of scared little sheep. Trying to educate people about freedom is one piece of course because you cannot force freedom onto people who don't seem to want it.

I have to give the TSA (et al) credit for doing thing (to this point) slowly and gradually. Clever strategy. The slowly increased the temperature of the beaker of water for the frogs. Add to that an unthinking and scared populous and...well...you can see.

You talk a good game about liberty and freedom and you've contributed greatly to those in the past - but now it seems you are full speed heading towards a Police State.

Are you just going to sit back and take it?

This is where you could lead the world the right way.... or the wrong way.

I hope you make a stand and win because to be honest...you are the only country that can. If you go down without a fight on this one no-one anywhere else will resist with any success.

The culture that allows so many invasions and assaults to our liberty was shaped by the very political party that likes to think it holds a monopoly on liberty. Thanks, Republicans, for the culture of fear.

“The nitrogen in our DNA, the calcium in our teeth, the iron in our blood, the carbon in our apple pies were made in the interiors of collapsing stars. We are made of starstuff.” -Sagan

And just remember that Bush started this culture of fear. The guys you voted into office started this culture of fear.

Thank goodness Obama hasn't amplified and perpetuated that "culture of fear" in order to wage more war, pass "stimulus packages", bail out corrupt and failing corporations, enact the nightmare that is Obamacare, and usher in the greatest period of government growth and expansion this country has ever known.

And just remember that Bush started this culture of fear. The guys you voted into office started this culture of fear.

You know what? That's crap. Complete and utter crap. No one--I repeat no one voted for this. Federalizing security was one thing. Grabbing people's genitals and keeping them in a cage for an hour is another.

"Bush started it." I don't know how you can sleep at night. I really don't.

I can only please one person per day. Today is not your day. Tomorrow doesn't look good either.

The only thing that hurts when you're a sheep is that blinding flash of illumination in your last few seconds in the abattoir......

That tiny last iota of consciousness when you realize that all your bleating about how good the shepherd was and how bad the wolf was is all a waste of time because you're going to die and it could all have been oh so different.....

What is Faith? When your good deed pleases you and your evil deed grieves you, you are a believer. What is Sin? When a thing disturbs the peace of your heart, give it up - Prophet Muhammad

The only thing that hurts when you're a sheep is that blinding flash of illumination in your last few seconds in the abattoir......

That tiny last iota of consciousness when you realize that all your bleating about how good the shepherd was and how bad the wolf was is all a waste of time because you're going to die and it could all have been oh so different.....

Yes remember those sheep who thought different and led the revolution of sheepvanna whereby all of sheepdom was returned to that perfect initial state that existed before the fall brought on by those shepards and wolves.

Yes remember those sheep who thought different and led the revolution of sheepvanna whereby all of sheepdom was returned to that perfect initial state that existed before the fall brought on by those shepards and wolves.

Oh wait... no one remembers that.

No one remembers any sheep Trumpy.

They're all dead.

What is Faith? When your good deed pleases you and your evil deed grieves you, you are a believer. What is Sin? When a thing disturbs the peace of your heart, give it up - Prophet Muhammad

You know what? That's crap. Complete and utter crap. No one--I repeat no one voted for this. Federalizing security was one thing. Grabbing people's genitals and keeping them in a cage for an hour is another.

"Bush started it." I don't know how you can sleep at night. I really don't.

No one voted for THIS. But you voted for the precursor. You allowed the culture to develop. Hell, you promoted the culture with your fervent support of Bush's paranoid policies. You defended unnecessary wars. You may not have voted for THIS, but you certainly laid out all the dominoes that came before.

“The nitrogen in our DNA, the calcium in our teeth, the iron in our blood, the carbon in our apple pies were made in the interiors of collapsing stars. We are made of starstuff.” -Sagan

No one voted for THIS. But you voted for the precursor. You allowed the culture to develop. Hell, you promoted the culture with your fervent support of Bush's paranoid policies. You defended unnecessary wars. You may not have voted for THIS, but you certainly laid out all the dominoes that came before.

Yes and liberals are such the advocates of freedom while telling people if they can smoke, if they can buy a Happy Meal, if they can own a pet, if they can use their own property, if their children can attend their neighborhood school or should be bussed away, etc.

However it is wonderful to ponder how readily the government will abuse you and who is more than willing to push that forward.

I can see the headlines now. President Obama, he gave your health care the TSA treatment!

No one voted for THIS. But you voted for the precursor. You allowed the culture to develop. Hell, you promoted the culture with your fervent support of Bush's paranoid policies. You defended unnecessary wars. You may not have voted for THIS, but you certainly laid out all the dominoes that came before.

I realize that it's fashionable to blame all bad things on Bush, buuuut...

How is it that a policy chosen and implemented (by Obama's Congressionally approved appointees), funded (by Obama's Congressionally approved "stimulus" bill) and continuing while Barack Obama has been president and the Democrats have controlled Congress is Bush's fault?

It seems to me that the Obama administration (and his buddies in Congress) aren't doing anything at all to end or reduce this "culture of fear." In fact, they are doing many thing that add to and extend it in various different ways (including extending in their own preferred directions.) As others have aptly pointed out the liberals and Democrats have their own fear-mongering banners: